Dillon 550 for precision rifle loads help

[LVLAaron]

Just ordered a UniqueTek 550 tool head. Thanks for spending my money guys!

 

[Rsadams]

I'd be interested to hear how other people are processing on the 550. I've been considering it (already have the 550), but I just can't see it being much faster than a single stage.

I do it like this for .223.... Since large rifle has only two dies I do those on a single stage...

For .223 I actually size on my single stage and do all the brass prep etc.. My sizing die is already setup for my AR chambers to size .003 so it's easy enough.. Since most brass is LC and even with the crimps reamed they can be a pain on the Dillon so I prime them with my hand primer... Then run the next three steps on the Dillon... Drop powder , seat bullets and crimp... Doing those last three steps on the Dillon is a time saver for sure and the ammo comes out just fine... I can't tell the difference between it and the stuff done completely on a single stage , especially with iron sights on the AR platform... I love my Dillon , totally worth the money....

Just FYI there's plenty of people using the 550 for precision loading and examples can be found online or on you tube... As I said though for two die only setups I just use the single stage...

 

[JimSC]

Whatever you say, but the difference in runout between loading on a floating toolhead with locked dies vs. locked toolhead with floating dies is really easy to measure with a concentricity gauge. Do it whichever way you like best.

Did a few decades of industrial design and repair and I assure you that to allow for case alignment either the case in the case holder or the die or both have to allow float as to allow the case to self align to the die otherwise you would be shaving brass off or deforming the case everytime you sized a case. Float is your friend here regardless of what the marketing monkeys want to sell you

 

[Erud]

Did a few decades of industrial design and repair and I assure you that to allow for case alignment either the case in the case holder or the die or both have to allow the case to float and allow self alignment otherwise you would be shaving brass off or deforming the case everytime you sized a case. Float is your friend here regardless of what the marketing monkeys want to sell you

Like I said, whatever you say. I didn’t do “a few decades of industrial design and repair”, but I did a couple of hours of setting up the press one way vs the other and measuring the ammo that came off. There is a measurable difference.

If you’re looking for a dick-measuring contest, look elsewhere as I don’t care how big yours is. Load your ammo however you like.

 

[JimSC]

Like I said, whatever you say. I didn’t do “a few decades of industrial design and repair”, but I did a couple of hours of setting up the press one way vs the other and measuring the ammo that came off. There is a measurable difference.

If you’re looking for a dick-measuring contest, look elsewhere as I don’t care how big yours is. Load your ammo however you like.

well then the next time you set up a press set it up so the case cannot move and the sizing die cannot move and try and get that case into the die without damage to the case. The only way that could happen is if the die and the case are perfectly aligned, if the case was off to one side by even .000001 inch that would mean that the steel die would shave off that .000001 inch off the case to allow the case to enter the die